Q: I watch sidewalks carefully to avoid falling, but some of my nastiest spills have happened at home. What can I do to fall-proof my house?
It’s wise to look out for cracked pavement and uneven curbs, but most of the trips and slips that require emergency care occur indoors, with almost 80 percent of those happening at home.
This is probably because people spend most of their time inside, said Suzanne Morley, a health educator with the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging. And while tripping or slipping can happen at any age, older adults are more likely to fall down.
The good news: Many falls are preventable, and there are simple things you can do to reduce your risk.
How to Prevent Falling
People can be “very, very good at predicting” when they’re more likely to fall, said Susan Stark, a professor of public health, occupational therapy and social work at Washington University. Take note of when once-easy activities, like carrying groceries up the stairs or getting up from the toilet, become more of a struggle, she explained, and use that information to mitigate your risks.
Exercises that build balance and strength can lower your overall chance of falling, but eliminating hazards around your home can also help. In 2023, Dr. Stark and other researchers published a review of 22 studies on home-based fall-prevention programs for older adults, and they found that removing common hazards — like poorly lit landings and stairs without railings — cut falls by up to 38 percent.
Dr. Stark also recommends scheduling a home visit with an occupational therapist or fall-prevention specialist to help you troubleshoot. You may be able to get a referral from your health care provider or find a free home-hazard removal program in your state, Ms. Morley said.
Here are five other ways you can reduce your chances of falling:
Eliminate clutter and stabilize rugs. Boxes, books, clothing and other items left out and underfoot are major contributors to falls at home, so Ms. Morley suggests removing floor-level clutter. Clear tables and countertops, too, she added: If you slip and need to lean or grab a surface, any pileup could get in the way of stopping your fall, she said.
Dr. Stark also recommended using double-sided rug tape to secure rugs or carpet edges. And if you have a kitchen mat, consider using one with rubber backing, she said.
Buy and install support. If your back or hip aches while you’re cooking, try an adjustable height perching stool, said Dr. Stark. If getting up from the toilet feels precarious, consider adding toilet rails or a raised assistive toilet seat, she added.
People often balk at the suggestion to add hand rails, fearing they’ll mar their walls or bathroom tiles, but they can effectively prevent falls, said Dr. Lawrence Melniker, an emergency physician at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.
Rearrange storage. The mere mention of climbing up on a wobbly chair or counter to reach a kitchen shelf makes fall-prevention experts shudder. So move things that you use regularly “down to eye level,” Dr. Melniker said.
Greg Jones, a nurse and injury prevention and outreach coordinator at Cedars-Sinai, also recommended repacking the contents of large items — big sacks of rice or jugs of laundry soap — into smaller containers that are easier to lift.
Adjust lighting. Many falls occur when people get up to use the bathroom at night, and dim lighting is often a factor, Dr. Stark said. With age, “our vision changes, and we can’t adjust to darkness or dim lighting as well as we used to,” she said.
So make sure there’s adequate light throughout your house and especially in places where judging distance is critical, such as stairs and landings, Dr. Stark said. To help you get to the bathroom safely at night, she also recommended adding battery-operated motion-sensor lights about 12 inches from the floor. They come with peel-and-stick backing and are “super easy to install,” she said.
Don’t multitask. Falls often occur when people are trying to do more than one thing at a time: walking while talking, or turning back to grab something as you’re moving forward. So it’s important to focus on how you’re moving and try “do one thing at a time,” Dr. Melnicker said.
“Think about being very purposeful and clear-minded about performing each task individually,” he said.
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